McBreen chases magic number in quest for contract

Dominic Bossi

NO PLAYER in the A-League has an eye for goal like Daniel McBreen at the moment but the Central Coast Mariners sharpshooter says that it's a new contract that's in his cross-hairs, not just the back of the net.

The veteran striker scored a double against Melbourne Victory on Saturday night to bring his season tally to seven goals in as many games and hopes he is now only three strikes away from clinching a new deal.

McBreen made a bet with coach Graham Arnold during the off-season that he would be rewarded with a contract extension if he reached double digits. The 35-year-old is showing the ambition of a gunning youngster to reach that tally.

''At the start of the season, I had a joke with Arnie,'' McBreen said. ''He said, 'Ten goals and you get another contract, don't worry.' I hit him up last night and said, 'How about that contract?' He said that I haven't hit 10 yet.''

The former Falkirk striker has flourished in his new role at the club, and has been entrusted as a leader this season in the absence of former captain Alex Wilkinson and striker Matt Simon.

McBreen has been deployed as a lone striker this season, and immediately found form with his added responsibilities in leading the Mariners attack. ''The system has changed a lot - for me, personally, I played a lot of last season with my back to goal,'' he said. ''Obviously being an older player, I'm in that [leadership] group, and we just try and help the younger guys along the way, and they're a good bunch of guys.''

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Arnold has sparked a war of words with the FFA after the governing body published a transfer story on its website involving promising youngster, Mat Ryan. English club Hull City submitted a transfer offer and invitation for a trial for the goalkeeper, and Arnold has criticised the FFA for bringing the transfer saga to light.

''I was so disappointed the way that got leaked, because it came from head office, FFA, and I didn't know that it was their job to leak those types of things,'' Arnold told journalists. ''I think it's your job to find that out, not them.

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''For FFA to leak that the way they did, I think is totally wrong. What else are they going to leak? They know everything that's going on in the league … so are they are now going to start leaking other stuff?''

However, Kyle Patterson, FFA's head of corporate affairs and communications, has slammed Arnold's attack and said the FFA had no knowledge of the transfer bid as it was a matter between two clubs and did not involve either the Australian or English associations. The transfer story was reported by the website's editorial team.

''The fact of the matter is that overseas clubs do not write to FFA asking about trials for Hyundai A-League players,'' Patterson told the A-League's website. ''The accusation that FFA operations staff have leaked this story is plain wrong. They didn't know and wouldn't know. In any case, it's offensive to suggest that A-League operations staff would share confidential club information.''